Janice L. (Janzen) Schraufnagel

December 11, 1962 – June 23, 2026

Madison, Wisconsin

Janice passed away peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in Madison, Wisconsin. She was 63 years old. She leaves behind a family who loved her deeply, and a community that will not forget her.

Janice was born on December 11, 1962, to Eber and Helen Janzen in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. It was there she was raised, spending her entire childhood from elementary school through high school. She earned a degree in Accounting from Madison Area Technical College, then moved to Madison in 1983, where she met Michael F. Schraufnagel. They married in April 1984 and built a life over 42 years together in Verona, WI, rooted in faith, family, and genuine love for the people around them.

After a decade in banking, Janice found her true calling in childcare, a profession she gave more than twenty-five years to. She rose from teacher to daycare center co-owner, and what she loved most was the daily presence of kids. She planned field trips, built summer school-aged programs full of stories and projects, and loved watching children learn from the lessons and activities she created. She had a gift for making things, whether that was a lesson, a craft, or an experience, and used that same gift toward everything she did for the families she served. She touched hundreds of children’s lives, and their families knew it.

Away from work, Janice poured the same creativity into her personal life. She knitted and crocheted with a master’s skill, creating blankets, hats and garments, and keepsakes for the people she loved. She had a particular affection for cows, a detail that charmed everyone who knew her. She loved nothing more than watching her kids and grandkids do the things they loved, and she showed up for them at every chance she got.

Janice was the kind of person who never passed up a good conversation. She loved catching up with friends, swapping stories, and landing a joke at just the right moment. Strangers rarely stayed strangers for long. Her faith in God was equally central to who she was. It shaped how she treated people and how she moved through the world. Christmas was one of her favorite times of year. A season that brought together everything she loved most; family, giving, and the joy of celebrating something bigger than herself.

She was a breast cancer survivor, a battle that shaped her but did not define her. Later in life she faced an even longer fight, a two-year struggle with a serious lung disease that ultimately led to a double lung transplant. She moved through all of it, the diagnoses, the treatments, the uncertainty, with a steadiness that never wavered and without complaint. She never made her suffering the center of attention, but she never shrank from it either.

Janice is preceded in death by her grandparents; her parents, Eber and Helen Janzen; and the aunts, uncles, and cousins who went before her.

She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Michael Schraufnagel; their son Donald E. Schraufnagel and his wife Miree (Walter) Schraufnagel and their children Camila, Nola, Leena, and Russ; their son Louis T. Schraufnagel; their daughter Grace R. Schraufnagel; her siblings Jim (Mary), JoAnne (Tony), Julie (Jeff), and Jerry; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews who carry her memory with them.

Celebration of Life

Cress Funeral Home

6021 University Ave., Madison, WI 53705

Thursday, July 2, 2026

4:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Open Visitation

Michael will share words of remembrance mid-evening.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made to any of the following organizations:

Friends of the Verona Public Library

Supporting literacy, community programs, and enrichment for readers of all ages in Verona.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison

Providing a home away from home for families with children receiving care at UW Health.

UW Foundation for Transplant Patient and Family Support

Supporting transplant patients and their families through the UW Health system.